Study protocol for Hear Me Read (HMR): A prospective clinical trial assessing a digital storybook intervention for young children who are deaf or hard of hearing

TL;DR

This study tests a new digital storybook app, Hear Me Read, to improve language and literacy in young deaf or hard of hearing children when used with speech therapy.

Contribution

The novel Hear Me Read digital storybook intervention is designed specifically for deaf or hard of hearing children to enhance speech-language therapy.

Findings

The trial will assess if Hear Me Read improves vocabulary, speech, and language outcomes in deaf or hard of hearing children.

The study will also evaluate if the intervention enhances literacy outcomes in this population.

The intervention aims to support children in achieving their language and literacy goals through interactive digital reading.

Abstract

Since the early 2000’s, digital reading applications have enhanced the language and literacy skills of typically hearing young children; however, no digital storybook intervention currently exists to scaffold the early language and literacy skills of their peers who are deaf or hard of hearing. To address this gap, our research team developed a novel digital storybook intervention called Hear Me Read with the aim of enhancing the therapeutic, language, and literacy benefits of speech-language therapy. This prospective clinical trial (registered at clinicaltrials.gov, NCT#: 05245799) aims to determine the efficacy of adding Hear Me Read to in-person speech-language therapy for children aged three to five years who are deaf or hard of hearing. Fifty caregivers, their child, and their child’s treating speech-language pathologist participate in the trial for 12 months. In the first six months, children attend standard-of-care speech-language therapy sessions. In the second six months, children continue to attend standard-of-care speech-language therapy sessions and use the Hear Me Read application, via a study supplied iPad. The primary outcome of this trial is that, compared to in-person speech-language therapy alone, in-person speech-language therapy with Hear Me Read will improve vocabulary, speech, and language outcomes in children aged three to five years who are deaf or hard of hearing. The secondary outcome is that, compared to in-person speech-language therapy alone, in-person speech-language therapy with Hear Me Read will improve literacy outcomes in children aged three to five years who are deaf or hard of hearing. The goal of this intervention is to help children who are deaf or hard of hearing achieve their vocabulary, speech, language, and literacy goals through interactive digital storybook reading.

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